13,000 apps. Hmm ok. Should pick up quite quickly when Nokia releases their first WP phone.

Apparently BT file transfer will be available

Search button in App/menu view. Thank goodness. Whilst it makes it slightly easy that everything is all there in one list (no digging/hunting through folders – which are great but takes time to remember where things are) is a pain sometimes to scroll, scroll, flick, scroll. :S

1500 new APIs for Windows Phone developers (via @bperry)

Direct streaming from wp7 camera (via @bperry)

will allow for mixing XNA and Silverlight for graphics (via @bperry)

25-30% improvements of memory usage for apps (via @bperry)

new dev tools for mango app development to be available next month (via @bperry)

Engadget caught a Nokia stand (there’ @bperry) at the Microsoft event and thought it to be a wonderful opportunity to poke fun again with a “caption contest” titled post. That homescreen look is kinda making me cringe though. I think it’s more the theme itself. Who’s that standing next to Bill.

Microsoft Corp. executives today showcased the next version of the Windows Phone operating system and other powerful next-generation applications that span phones, PCs and other devices. Building on Tuesday’s keynote, Microsoft demonstrated the value of developing for HTML5 and the standards-based Web with Internet Explorer 9 on PCs running Windows and Internet Explorer 9 on Windows Phone. With the forthcoming release of Windows Phone, coming later this year, Microsoft is providing developers with more hardware capabilities, better browsing and improved tooling, as well as expanded opportunities and Windows Phone Marketplace options. Together, these technologies create a richer application environment that expands mobile usage scenarios.

“The next release of Windows Phone represents the evolution of our strategy for ensuring that developers are at the forefront of ‘what’s next’ by investing in even richer customer experiences, a powerful application platform and a thriving ecosystem,” said Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president, Windows Phone Program Management. “We will soon deliver a new set of Windows Phone Developer Tools that will enable developers to create a new generation of apps that are even faster, more capable and better integrated with Windows Phone.”

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New Opportunities and Capabilities for Windows Phone

Today, Microsoft provided the first deep look at the development platform for the next version of Windows Phone, arriving on new and existing handsets later this year. Developers will soon have updated Windows Phone Developer Tools. Improved tools include a performance profiler and sensor simulation, enabling developers to build more integrated and high-performing applications. The new application platform enables developers to take advantage of the following:

* Deeper phone integration so apps can, for example, take better advantage of the versatility of Live Tiles

* Access to the camera and Motion Sensor library so developers can build apps that incorporate device hardware and build augmented reality experiences

Developers will be able to take advantage of these new capabilities to create even more creative and engaging Windows Phone apps and games.

The free Windows Phone Developer Tools for the new Windows Phone OS will be available to developers in May. With 38,000 registered developers, more than 13,000 available apps and 1.5 million downloads of the original Windows Phone Developer Tools, developers are the foundation of the fast-growing Windows Phone ecosystem.

Today, Microsoft also provided an early glimpse of app concepts for the next version of Windows Phone OS with new experiences from Skype, Spotify, Layar, Qantas, Amazon Shopping and Kik Messenger.

“Windows Phone is an incredibly fun and easy platform for developers to work with, and Kik was thrilled to have the chance to create a concept with the phone’s next-generation developer tools,” said Ted Livingston, CEO, Kik Messenger. “In only two weeks, we had an amazing new app that looks and feels like an extension of the phone itself, creating a customer experience like nothing we’ve seen before.”
“Microsoft’s support for Kinect beyond the Xbox platform will increase opportunities for developers to explore new ideas and deliver innovative Kinect applications and experiences. A richer Kinect for Windows API will enable the creativity of these development communities to really come to life,” said Robert Tuttle, chief architect, frog design.

Microsoft Silverlight 5 Beta Delivered

Microsoft also announced the immediate availability of the beta for Microsoft Silverlight 5, which provides advances in rich media and application development. New capabilities include Hardware Video Decode, for enhanced video quality and performance, and “Trickplay,” which provides variable-rate video playback with audio pitch correction. The Microsoft Silverlight 5 beta also offers a new Microsoft XNA-based interface for delivering stunning 3-D visualizations within applications, along with a host of new features that are designed to enhance developer productivity and end-user experiences. More information and a download of the beta are available at http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight.

At MIX, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels demonstrated a dynamic new site that uses HTML5 to make the site’s core content engaging and wide-reaching while using Silverlight for streaming a never-before-seen, HD video experience from inside the cockpit and a high-performance, interactive, 3-D representation of a Blue Angels aircraft.

“The Blue Angels are excited to launch a new, state-of-the-art website that will allow us to more effectively accomplish our mission of enhancing Navy recruiting and credibly representing Navy and Marine Corps aviation to the United States and its Armed Forces,” said Lt. Katie Kelly, U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

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Rant

WP is shaping up to be a worthy competitor for Android and iOS this fall.

I just hope MHL/HDMI support is coming to WP as well. And more importantly I hope Nokia is working on a N8 equivalent with WP on it. Instant buy in 2012.

http://mynokiablog.com/ Andre

You should hate WP7 more, or you’ll get flamed for being a windows fanboy

It’s only the Power Users that cry for now, and the ones with Symbian Modding history.

Everybody else will not care and WP will evolve eventually.

Rant

Good you mention power users, those are the ones that will miss certain features.

But the majority of people that own smartphones have them for email and browsing. Much like why people even have PC’s. If that is very well implemented you already adress a significant part of the market and most certainly a lot of the people shifting from dumbphones to smartphones in the coming years.

WP in it’s current form is just simply not there yet even for my moderate needs.
But with Mango it is becoming a very decent OS that may still lack certain things but it will be capable of most mainstream tasks and do it in an easy to use way to boot.

Bazil

Those people don’t need to wait for mangos or bananas. They can buy a fruit-phone NOW. What will WP give them that iPhone doesn’t?

It’s the power users who were supporting Nokia, because of its powerful OS and the things one could do with that. Those people will look elsewhere (Android).

http://ideasproject.com/ideas/3668 MJT

Naaa, I know that probably many Power Users were Nokians but not all Nokians where Power Users, so they are not gonna loose ‘em all.

Let’s put it this way I would pay money to never have to use Itunes again. But then again I don’t have to and it’s free!

Antonio

If Nokia makes of the Windows Phone 7 a new Symbian (without the bad parts like delays and slow development) I will surely love to purchase a Nokia WP7 with the same (or more) features of my N8. But if there’s even a single thing my N8 does and WP7 can’t do (currently there are too many), I won’t downgrade.

And after talking to some people at Microsoft Brasil I have pretty much been shown this is never going to happen. Nokia won’t do a thing to WP7 apart from what’s strictly written on their contract (such as integrating ovi maps).
WP7 is Microsoft’s. It is a closed source, proprietary system that will not allow modifications to its core, even from Nokia. Nokia is just another OEM for them. If MS doesn’t think HDMI (just an example, could be any feature) is important or just don’t want to implement it, it will never happen.

The MS guys told me the company will not allow Nokia anything exceptional that other OEMs can’t do either.

I have spent 20 minutes using their WP7 phone (can’t remember the brand). They hadn’t updated yet so it didn’t have copy and paste. To be honest, the system is fast and looks kind of stable (except for some apps), but there are many blatant design failures, way too many features that should be implemented and still haven’t been despite how basic they are, and after using for that much time there’s nothing left to do with it. It’s like, when you’ve spent 20 minutes with it, you’ve seen everything.

Rant

There just need to be some primary things available in the upcoming WP/Nokia handsets.

And I’d like to see the ability to change the look and feel of the OS a bit more. Backgrounds being one of them. And unlimited color options for the tiles, just a color palette in stead of preset ones.

Mavrick

I don’t think Nokia would have entered into a contract with MS if they have absolutely no influence on the development/direction of the OS. If that really is the case, what’s the point of the partnership?

Cod3rror

That’s the beauty of it, all a person needs is 20 minutes and they’re familiar and ready to use the OS.

Of course Symbian is more fun with a ringtone changing requiring half an hour browse through menus after menus, then asking on the forums, in the mean time the phone reboots and freezes a couple of times, so yea, Symbian much more entertaining in that way.

With WP7, you get right to data, browsing, emails, twitter, etc… with Symbian you’re spending most of the time dealing with Symbian by the time you get to the data, you don’t remember what you want to do.

vPuik

Of course it takes even longer to change the ring tone on WP7, but that wasn’t your point, was it?

Rant

Something that I didn’t find in your article.

Language support is extended. 16 more languages supported and the marketplace becomes available in a total 0f 35 countries. (up from 16)

I wonder if operator billing becomes available as well with Nokia devices. And is there any news on a maps solution?

http://mynokiablog.com/ Andre

Increased HTML5 performance to boot.

http://mynokiablog.com/ Andre

Maps is looking to be Ovi/Bing maps but there hasn’t yet been an announcement

Rant

Hmm, that is one omission I’m not willing to make. Turn by turn navigation of OVI maps class is a feature that I want from my Nokia/phone. And a decent AF shooter of course. :p

XtiaN8

It’s great to know that WP is changing it OS quickly to become closer and on par with the other phone OS. It’ll even be better if they can get a step ahead of the game. Time will only tell.

Andreas

Yay! Soon it will have the functionality of 2004.

Zahid

thanks GOD th’er bringing BT file transfer
i dont know how thousands of iphoners live with out BT file transfer

Viipottaja

Errr… so finally I see the menu of WP.. and.. it sucks.. a HUGE list of app after the other.. that makes no sense whatsover. Hope that changes/Nokia changes it in their version. Yes, just copy what iOS or Meego are doing.

Hearing him speak about it, it just oozes passions for his work and motivation. Hearing Jo Harlow, OPK or even Vanjoki is far less enthusiastic.
It shouldn’t matter in terms of OS, but it does show MS has a good team or at least a good vibe within it.

Cod3rror

Yea, I love his enthusiasm.

The whole MS team seems to be very motivated, unlike the Symbian team… which can be collective summarized with this picture…

Their first priority should really be the development of a WP Banana update, which would remove that awful tiles UI and replace it with something good and usable. And then put in a proper file browser with PC-like file handling.

wes?

So MeeGo (not N950/Harmattan) will have to bring something really “disrupting” to not be niche market product. That’s gonna take some time for sure!

WP is really maturing very quickly. If they are able to continue with that pace others (no matter who) will have a hard time to stay competitive…

pep

wtf??? still they dont have skype, layar or multitasking???? nice SMARTphone

Poop

Windows Phone 7 is just ugly, I know its really smooth and what not but seriously all the WP7 Phones are ugly. I don’t like the panel thing and the fact that when you go to contacts or w/e the backdrop is black. It sucks, Nokia should of went with Maemo or Meego.